Tuesday, 9 July 2019

Championship Talk: Knights on the rise

CHAMPIONSHIP TALK

fevnut's blog is absolutely delighted to have received permission to bring you a regular column from Gareth Walker.

Gareth is a top rugby league journalist who has one very exceptional distinction. He chooses to write about matters pertaining to the Championship and League One.

Although this blog is devoted to Featherstone Rovers it is always good to read opinions about matters relevant to us, but not specifically about us. We hope you enjoy reading Gareth's column each week.



Knights on the charge

THEY’VE been one of best stories in the Betfred Championship all season, but York City Knights are rapidly becoming “the” story of the campaign.
       
Last week’s away win at Sheffield took James Ford’s side up to second on the table as the scramble for the top five hots up.
       
In a league that is often described as difficult to survive in for teams coming up, the Knights have taken the competition by storm in their first year after promotion.  
       
They’ve done it without splashing large amounts of money on star players, keeping faith in a lot of the side that won League One last year.
       
Ford has fashioned a team in the truest sense of the word, and even had to cope with one of his highest profile and most influential squad members Ben Cockayne retiring midway through the campaign.
       
But their play-offs push shows little sign of slowing up, despite competing against clubs with bigger budgets.
       
Off the field, the club continues to lead the way on many fronts.
       
On Tuesday evening they staged their second ‘Knights Fest’ event for supporters after the huge success of the inaugural one last year, which attracted over 1,000 fans.
       
It included a junior rugby league festival alongside an inflatable obstacle course and pitch side BBQ.
       
Both Knights mens and ladies squads were in attendance, and the new York Community Stadium plans were on show, and fans able to secure their 2020 season ticket.
       
The club's going in the right direction,” Ford told the York Press this week.
       
The potential of this club is massive.
       
There are good people in and around it. There are great volunteers, great staff, so I'm always proud to be here.
       
For it to be our first year in the Championship and to go second, yeah it's good. But we're not going to get carried away.
       
We've got seven testing games, very challenging games, and we must maintain our efforts and keep getting better.”
       
The Knights’ form on the field has earned recognition for Ford, who was on England Academy’s backroom staff last year and has since been linked to Hull Kingston Rovers.
       

He is tied to a long-term deal at York though, and given the potential that he talks about, might want to see through a project that could see the Knights continue to rise.




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